Description

Offered is a Royal red Cross Order and associated badges to Welsh born Nursing Sister E.M.R. Currie, who served in France from 1916 with the South African Medical Nursing Service. She was later detached as part of a surgical team to the French IX Corps in May and June 1918.

Royal Red Cross, 2nd Class, (A.R.R.C.), G.V.R., silver and enamel, with bow riband, in Garrard & Co case of issue; scarce South African Trained Nurses Association badge, period engraved on reverse E.M.R. Currie. 399 silver and enamel, hallmarked for Cape Town. Yellow metal lapel badge family coat of arms with CURRIE on lower shield. Comes with copies of census, British Journal of Nursing extracts and research.

A.R.R.C. London Gazette 1 January 1919

Sister Emily Marion Rosetta Currie was born in April 1880 at Laughame, Carmarthenshire, the daughter of George and Mary Currie of Graseland, Laugharne. The 1911 census records Currie employed as a nurse working at the Homeopathic Hospital, Birmingham. She joined the Colonial Nursing Association on 31/1/1914 and moved to the Masina Hospital Bombay. With the outbreak of the war, she joined the South African Medical Nursing Service and was serving in France (British Journal of Nursing dated 20/5/196) records her as serving at Boulogne.

No. 1 South African General Hospital arrived in France July 1916 and it is highly probable that Emily was one of the original of the core staff. She was nominated as Team Sister to the surgical team from the hospital to work in the front areas. She was working on the French front (French IX Corps) during the Battle of Champagne May and June 1918. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross (2nd Class) London Gazette 1/1/1919 and was presented the award by the King on 15/5/1919.

Post war she continued to nurse and was a resident of Whitchurch Hospital, Glamorgan, when she died in September 1962. She is further entitled to the British War Medal (1914 – 18) and Bi-lingual Victory Medal.